Ladder.



, No. 700,542. Patented may 20, |902.

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LADDER. (A'pligaition led June 15, 1901.) (N0 Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheetl.

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Patented May 20, |902.y

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(Application led June 16, 19.01.)

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(No Model.)

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, UNITED STATES 4ATHNT f FFCE" THIRDS MALHEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

TO, WILLIAM S. JACOBS AND WILLARD .ROBINSON, 'OF

LADDAiER. 1

SPECIFICATION forming part of' Letters Patent No. 700,542, dated May 20,1902. Application filed .Tune l5, 1901. Serial No64.678. (No model.) I

.To @ZZ- whom may concern:

Be itlnown that I, JOSEPH C. MCCOMBIE, of Malden, in the'county ofMiddlesexand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvern en tsin Ladders, of which the following is aspecification.

Thislinvention has for its object to provide a strong, durable, andconvenient ladder adapted to be folded in small compass and to bereadily extended from an elevated Vpoint on a building and form a seriesof steps, which are supported by the Wall of the buildingand aresufficiently separated therefrom to enable a person to readilydescendthe ladder.

Theinvention consists in the improvements, which I will now proceed todescribe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure l represents a vertical section of -a portion ofthe Wall of abuilding, showing an edge view of my improved ladder and its support.`Figl 2 represents a front elevation showing theladdersupport adjustedor extended to locate'the ladder at one side of the window-opening'.

Fig. 3 represents an edge View of a portion of the ladder on a largerscale. Fig.=4: repre sents a side or front view of a portion oftheladder, parts being shown in section.

The same reference characters indicate the j same parts in all thefigures.

The side bars of my improved ladder are each composed of 'a series ofsections a, andA a'. The meeting ends ofthe Sections a and ct of eachside bar overlap each other and are provided With orifices, so that thesaid ends constitute hinged socket members, which are Y jointed togetherby theend portions of the .rungs b, said end portions constitutinghingepintle members. The Sections d d have abutting stop-shoulders d2d2, which are bent laterallyfrom the ,overlapping portions of thesections a ct', sojthat they abut together, as indicated in Figs. 2 and3. The arrangement of the Stop-shoulders a? is such that they come to abearing each on the other when the sections a'a' are'in tlie'angularrelation to each other, represented in Figs. l and 3, so thatl When theladder is extended its side bars assume a zigzag form, two Series ofangles beingthus provided, Theinner series of angle'si rest against theivall'of th'ebfuilding from Wlhicli'the ladder is suspended "and supportthe outer Series of angles and the' rungs engaged therewith at asuitable distance from the wall to permit the ladder to beconvenientlyused by a person desiring' todescend the same. The upper rung b' of theladder is engaged with the upper sections d ct of the side bars and isprovided with hooks or suspension devices c c for engagement with asupportingarm d, hereinafter described.

c e representexible inextensible cords,

which are preferably made of Wire, each cord being continuous from endto end, so that there are no joints or connected ends. The

upper ends ofsaid cords are rigidly secured by set-screwsf or othersuitable means with screw studs or plugs g, secured tol and formingparts of the upper rung b. The Said cords are; attached in like mannerto the alternate hinge-joints of the side bars, asiin'dicated in Fig.-l,A thev connection between thecord and each of said joints being rigid,so that the cord 'cannot slip at either of `its pointsof connection. Thestretches of the'cordfbetween the jointsto which' it is connected.V areof such length that whenA the latter is extended said stretches willcooperate With stop'jshoulders CL2 a? in preserving the angular relationberelieving the stop-shoulders of aconsiderable part of the strain thatwould be exerted upon themif ,the cords were not employed. The cordsbeing attached to the outerlfangles of the side bars constituteconvenient handles adapted to be grasped by a person-'using the ladder.r v

The support for the-ladder which IV have here shown comprises a bar h,arms h h', secured to the ends of the bar and made of Sufcient length toextend through ayvindowopening and engage the inner vside ofthe Wall,the arms bearing on the sill of a Windowopening and supporting'the barhin a hori-` zontal position outside the opening and. at a suitabledistance from the outer side of the 8c tween the sections of the sidebars, the cords Wall, as indicated in Fig. l. The inner ends f of thearms h' are provided with hooks h2, which may Aenter sockets formed fortheir re- IOO ception in the wall below the window-opening. Theladder-supporting arm (l above referred to is hinged at d' to the bar 71so that the arm (Z,With the ladder, may be swung horizontally, and thusextended to one side ofthe window-opening, as shown in Fig. 2. The arm dis provided with a downwardly-project ing foot cl2, which when the armis extended, as shown in Fig. 2, bears upon a seat (Z3, formed tosupport it on the bar 7i. The seat d3 has a lockingspring d5, having anorifice adapted to engage the bottom portion of the foot (F.

e' represents a stud which projects downwardly from the swinging end ofthe arm d and is adapted to be engaged with a socketf in the bar 7i. Ashort ladder of the saine construction as that above described andcoinposed of a suitable number of sections d a and rungs I) may besuspended from the bar 7i.

I claim- 1. A folding fire-escape ladder com prsing side bars,connecting-mugs, the side bars being composed of sections which arehinged or jointed to the rungs, and are provided with stop-shouldersarranged to abut together and hold the sections in angular relation toeach other when the ladder is extended, and ilexible, inextensible cordsattached to and extending between the alternate hinge-joints of the sidebars, said cords cooperating with the stop-shoulders in maintaining theangular relation of the sections.

2. A foldable fire-escape ladder comprising side bars each composed ofsections having hinge-socket members and stop-shoulders at their ends,rungs extending between said bars their ends constituting hinge pintlemembers engaged with said socket members, said stop-shoulders beingarranged to abut togetherwhen the ladder is extended and hold theside-bar sections in angular relation to each other, whereby outer andinner angles are provided, the inner angles being adapted to bearagainst the wall of a building and hold the outer angles and the rungsconnected therewith at a distance from said wall, and flexibleinextensible cords affixed to and extending between the pintle membersof the outer angles, said cords cooperating with the stop-shoulders inmaintaining the angular relation of the sidebar sections.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature iu presence of twowitnesses.

JOSEPH C. MCCOMBIE.

Witnesses:

WM. S. J Aoons, LESTER T. MCCOMBIE.

